Whereas Hearn’s want to remain in Sheffield is now clear, he anticipates that doing so would require a change of venue.
Matchroom took over the working of WST in 2010, with Hearn on the helm till he stepped down as chairman in April 2021 on the age of 72.
He stays an influential determine within the working of snooker and ideally needs a brand new facility to be constructed to accommodate the World Championship.
“I believe it is a new-build throughout the metropolis. It could actually’t be an growth of the Crucible. There is not sufficient area. The constructing is just too small,” Hearn stated.
“However I believe there are different buildings that may very well be transformed… however I would like a venue to emphasize the significance of the occasion, the standard of the occasion.
“You’ll be able to’t stick it in a leisure centre, and say ‘that is our World Championships’, only for the sake of one other 1,000 [or] 1,500 tickets a session.”
Transferring away from the Crucible would even be standard with a number of the gamers, who’ve criticised situations on the theatre.
“Should you stroll across the Crucible it smells actually dangerous,” stated Iran’s Hossein Vafaei.
“The observe room? Do you see something particular about it? It looks like I am practising in a storage and that is not good.”
Saudi Arabia has labored carefully with Matchroom Sport to deliver quite a few high-profile main boxing occasions to the nation. It additionally staged a primary WST event in March – the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.
“Ought to the World Championships keep in little outdated England? It is a world sport, ought to it go around the world?” Hearn added.
“Ought to it promote out and go to the place the most important cash is, as have so many sports activities? Some that I’ve been concerned in.
“That is not mistaken – that is simply the development of how the world’s modified.
“It is a steadiness – however you may’t ignore the cash, that might be unrealistic and foolish to say we’re ignoring the cash.
“However on the similar time we’ve an obligation of care to the game, to verify the good traditions stick with us as properly.”